the office of president of the senate shall, by virtue of his said office, be clothed, ad interim, with the executive powers of government; and in case there shall be no president of the senate, or in case he shall refuse to act, remove from the State, die, resign, or be removed for cause, the person filling the office of speaker of the house of delegates shall, by virtue of his said office, be clothed, ad interim, with the executive powers of government.
Sec. 19. The term of office of the governor, who shall be chosen on the first Monday of January next, shall continue for the term of one year, and until the election and qualification of a successor, to be chosen as hereinafter mentioned.
Sec. 20. At the time and places of holding the elections in the several counties of this State, and in the city of Baltimore, for delegates to the general assembly for the December session of the year eighteen hundred and thirty-eight, and before the same judges by whom the election for delegates shall be held, and in every third year forever thereafter, an election shall also be held for a governor of this State, whose term of office shall commence on the first Monday of January next ensuing the day of such election, and continue for three years, and until the election and qualification of a successor; at which said election every person qualified to vote for delegates to the general assembly, at the place at which he shall offer to vote, shall be entitled to vote for governor, and the person voted for as governor shall possess the qualifications now required by the constitution and form of government, and the additional qualification of being at least thirty years of age, and of being, and of having been for at least three whole years before, a resident within the limits of the gubernatorial district from which the governor is to be taken at such election, according to the priority which shall be determined as hereinafter mentioned; that is to say, the State shall be, and the same is hereby, divided into three gubernatorial districts, as follows: the counties of Cecil, Kent, Queen Anne’s, Caroline, Talbot, Dorchester, Somerset, and Worcester shall together compose one district, and until its number shall be determined as hereinafter provided, shall be known as the eastern district; the counties of Saint Mary’s, Charles, Calvert, Prince George’s, Anne Arundel, inclusive of the city of Annapolis, Montgomery, and Baltimore City, shall together compose one district, and, until its number shall be determined as hereinafter provided, shall be known as the southern district; Baltimore, Harford, Carroll, Frederick, Washington, and Alleghany Counties shall together compose one district, and until its number shall be determined as hereinafter provided, shall be known as the northwestern district; and for the purpose of determining the respective numbers and order of priority of said districts in the same session in which this act shall be confirmed, if the same shall be confirmed as hereinafter mentioned, and on some day to be fixed by concurrence of the two branches, the speaker of the house of delegates shall present to the president of the senate, in the senate chamber, a box containing three ballots of similar size and appearance, and on which shall severally be written, eastern district, southern district, northwestern district; and the president of the senate shall thereupon draw from said box the said several ballots in succession, and the district, the name of which shall be written on the ballot first drawn, shall thenceforth be distinguished as the first
