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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 Allegany counties, shall together compose one district, and until its number shall be determined as hereinafter provided, shall be known as the North-western 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, North-western 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 gubernatorial district, and the person to be chosen governor at the election first to be held under the provisions of this section, and the person to be chosen at every succeeding third election for governor forever thereafter, shall be taken from the said first district; and the district, the name of which shall be written on the ballot secondly drawn, shall thenceforth be distinguished as the second gubernatorial district, and the person to be chosen governor at the second election to be held under the provisions of this section, and the person to be chosen at every succeeding third election for governor forever thereafter, shall be taken from the said second district, and the district, the name of which shall be written on the ballot thirdly drawn, shall thenceforth be distinguished as the third gubernatorial district, and the person to be chosen governor at the third election to be held under the provisions of this section, and the person to be chosen at every succeeding third election forever thereafter, shall be taken from the said third district; and the result of such drawing shall be entered on the journal of the senate, and be reported by the speaker of the house of delegates on his return to that body, and be entered on the journal thereof, and shall be certified by a joint letter, to be signed by the president of the senate and the speaker of the house of delegates, and be addressed and transmitted to the secretary of state, if appointed, and if not, as soon as he shall be appointed, to be by him preserved in his office.

21. The general assembly shall have power to regulate by law all matters which relate to the judges, time, place, and manner of holding elections for governor, and of making returns thereof not affecting the tenure and term of office thereby, and that until otherwise directed, the returns shall be made in like manner as in clections for electors of president and vice president, save that the form of the certificates shall be varied to suit the case, and save also, that the returns, instead of being made to the governor and council, shall be made to the senate, and be addressed to the president of the senate, and be enclosed under cover to the secretary of state, by whom they shall be delivered to the president of the senate, at the commencement of the session next ensuing such election.

22. Of the persons voted for as governor, at any such election, the person having, in the judgment of the senate, the highest number of legal votes, and possessing the legal qualifications, and resident as aforesaid, in the district from which the governor at such election is to be taken, shall be governor, and shall qualify in the manner prescribed by the constitution and laws, on the first Monday of January next ensuing his election, or as soon thereafter as may be, and all questions in relation to the number or legality of the votes given for each and any person voted for as governor, and in relation to the returns, and in relation to the qualifications of the persons voted for as governor, shall be decided by the senate, and in case two or more persons, legally qualified according to the provisions of this act, shall have an equal number of legal votes, then the senate and house of delegates, upon joint ballot, shall determine which one of them shall be governor, and the one which, upon counting the ballots, shall have the highest number of votes, shall be governor, and shall qualify accordingly.

23. No person who shall be elected, and shall act as governor, shall be again eligible for the next succeeding term.

24. The elections to be held in pursuance of this act, shall be held on the first Wednesday of October, in the year eighteen hundred and thirty-eight, and for the election of delegates on the same day in every year thereafter, for the election of governor on the same day in every third year thereafter, and for the election of senators, of the first class, on the same day, in the second year after their election and classification, and on the same day in every sixth year thereafter; and for the election of senators of the second class, on the same day in the fourth year after their election and classification, and on the same day in every sixth year thereafter; and for the election of senators of the third class, on the same day, in the sixth year after their election and classification, and on the same day in every sixth year thereafter.

25. In all elections for governor, the city of Annapolis shall be deemed and taken as part of Anne Arundel county.

26. The relation of master and slave, in this state, shall not be abol ished, unless a bill so to abolish the same shall be passed by a unanimous vote of the members of each branch of the general assembly, and shall be published at least three months before a new election of delegates, and shall be confirmed by a unanimous vote of the members of each branch of the general assembly, at the next regular constitutional session after such new election, nor then, without full compensation to the master for the property of which he shall be thereby deprived.

27. The city of Annapolis shall continue to be the seat of government, and the place of holding the sessions of the court of appeals for the Western Shore, and the high court of chancery.

28. If this act shall be confirmed by the general assembly, after a new election of delegates, in the first session after such new election, agreeably to the provisions of the constitution and form of government, then and in such case, this act, and the alterations and amendments of the constitution therein contained, shall be taken and considered, and shall constitute and be valid, as a part of said constitution and form of government, anything in the said constitution and form of government to the contrary notwithstanding.

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