at their first meeting after each annual election, shall by ballot elect seven persons to be a council of state, for one year, who shall advise the governor in the execution of his office; and that four members shall be a quorum; their advice and proceedings shall be entered in a journal to be kept for that purpose only, and signed by the members present; to any part of which any member present may enter his dissent; and such journal shall be laid before the General Assembly when called for by them.
Sect. 17. That there shall be a seal of this State, which shall be kept by the governor, and used by him as occasion may require, and shall be called the great seal of the State of North Carolina, and be affixed to all grants and commissions.
Sect. 18. That the governor for the time being, shall be captain-general and commander-in-chief of the militia; and in the recess of the General Assembly, shall have power, by and with the advice of the council of state, to embody the militia for the public safety.
Sect. 19. That the governor for the time being, shall have power to draw for and apply such sums of money as shall be voted by the General Assembly for the contingencies of government, and be accountable to them for the same; he also may, by and with the advice of the council of state, lay embargoes, or prohibit the exportation of any commodity, for any term not exceeding thirty days at any one time, in the recess of the General Assembly, and shall have the power of granting pardons and reprieves, except where the prosecution shall be carried on by the General Assembly, or the law shall otherwise direct; in which case, he may, in the recess, grant a reprieve until the next sitting of the General Assembly; and may exercise all the other executive powers of the government, limited and restrained as by this constitution is mentioned, and according to the laws of the State; and on his death, inability, or absence from the State, the speaker of the senate for the time being, and in case of his death, inability, or absence from the State, the speaker of the house of commons shall exercise the powers of the governor, after such death, or during such absence or inability of the governor or speaker of the senate, or until a new nomination is made by the General Assembly.
Sect. 20. That in every case where any officer, the right of whose appointment is, by this constitution, vested in the General Assembly, shall, during their recess, die, or his office by other means become vacant, the governor shall have power, with the advice of the council of state, to fill up such vacancy by granting
