Sovereign

Collier's New Encyclopedia (1921)

a gold coin, the standard of the English coinage. It equals 20 shillings sterling, and has a standard weight of 123.274 grains, being of 22 carats fineness, and coined at the rate of 1,869 sovereigns from 40 pounds troy of gold; worth at normal rate of exchange in United States money, $4.8665. SOVEREIGNTY OF THE SEA. Blackstone lays it down that the main or high seas are part of the realm of England, as the courts of admiralty have jurisdiction there. But the law of nations, as now understood, recognizes no dominion in any one nation over the high seas, which are the highway of all nations and governed by the public law of the civilized world. Such a right has, however, long been claimed over the four seas surrounding the British Isles. It was strongly asserted by Selden and denied by Grotius, and measures were taken to vindicate the right in the reign of Charles I. The Dutch claimed the supremacy of the seas in Cromwell's time, but were worsted by Blake. Every nation has undoubtedly a right to the exclusive dominion of the sea within a certain distance from the shore, now fixed at 3 miles. This right of lordship includes the right to free navigation, to fishing, to taking wrecks, the forbidding passage to enemies, the right of flag, of jurisdiction, etc. By the law of England the main sea begins at low-water mark; and between low and high water mark the common law and admiralty have a divided jurisdiction, one on land when left dry, the other on the water when it is full sea. SOVIET. The name given to the Soldiers' and Workingmen's Council, established in Russia, following the overthrow of the provisional government erected by the revolution of 1917. See COUNCIL OF WORKINGMEN AND SOLDIERS; RUSSIA; LENINE; NIKOLAI; WORLD WAR. Copyright Keystone View Company A SELF-REVISING REFERENCE WORK WITH LOOSE-LEAF FEATURES IN TEN BOUND VOLUMES WITH 515 ILLUSTRATIONS AND NINETY-SIX MAPS, SUPPLEMENTED BY A LOOSE-LEAF VOLUME VOLUME NINE P. F. COLLIER & SON COMPANY NEW YORK Copyright, 1921 By P. F. COLLIER & SON COMPANY DR. WILLIAM A. NEILSON, CHAIRMAN PRESIDENT SMITH COLLEGE, NORTHAMPTON, MASS. FORMER PRESIDENT OF NAVAL WAR COLLEGE, NEWPORT, R. I. DR. JOSEPH H. ODELL DIRECTOR, SERVICE CITIZENS OF DELAWARE, WILMINGTON, DEL. DR. KENNETH C. M. SILLS PRESIDENT BOWDOIN COLLEGE, BRUNSWICK, ME. DR. HENRY S. CANBY EDITOR LITERARY REVIEW, NEW YORK, N. Y. DR. W. T. COUNCILMAN DEPARTMENT OF PATHOLOGY, HARVARD MEDICAL SCHOOL, BOSTON, MASS. DR. CHARLES F. THWING PRESIDENT WESTERN RESERVE UNIVERSITY, CLEVELAND, OHIO DR. EDWIN GREENLAW UNIVERSITY OF NORTH CAROLINA, CHAPEL HILL, N. C. DR. J. H. KIRKLAND CHANCELLOR VANDERBILT UNIVERSITY, NASHVILLE, TENN. PROFESSOR IRVING FISHER YALE UNIVERSITY, NEW HAVEN, CONN. EDITOR IN CHIEF FRANCIS J. REYNOLDS FORMER REFERENCE LIBRARIAN, LIBRARY OF CONGRESS MANAGING EDITOR ALLEN L. CHURCHILL ASSOCIATE EDITOR THE NEW INTERNATIONAL ENCYCLOPEDIA CONTRIBUTING EDITORS J. W. DUFFIELD EDITORIAL STAFF OF THE NEW YORK TIMES ALBERT SONNICHSEN ECONOMIST, WAR CORRESPONDENT T. C. SHAFFER PROFESSOR OF HISTORY B. H. GOLDSMITH EDITOR, ECONOMIST BENEDICT FITZPATRICK FORMERLY LITERARY EDITOR OF THE LONDON MAIL C. E. MELOY SMITH DREXEL INSTITUTE, CONSULTING ENGINEER E. D. PIERSON EDITOR, CORRESPONDENT LONDON TIMES J. B. GIBSON COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY J. L. FRENCH EDITOR, AUTHOR List of Illustrations ROME-Colored Frontispiece Opposite page 20