we find only twenty-five ruling families distributed over the eleven gilds. Serfage was abolished by Soleure in 1785. The old system of the city ruling over eleven bailiwicks came to an end in March 1708, when Soleure opened its gates to the French army, and it was one of the six “directorial” cantons under the 1803 constitution. In 1814 the old aristocratic government was set up again, but this was finally broken down in 1831, Soleure in 1832 joining the league to guarantee the maintenance of the new cantonal constitutions. Though distinctly a Roman Catholic canton, it did not join the “Sonderbund,” and voted in favour of the federal constitutions of 1848 and 1874. (W. A. B. C.)
SOLFATARA, a volcanic vent emitting vapours chiefly of
sulphurous character, whence the name, from the Italian solfo
(sulphur). The typical example is the famous Solfatara, near
Puzzuoli, in the Phlegraean Fields, west of Naples. This is an
old crater which has not been in active eruption since A.D. 1108,
but which is continuously exhaling heated vapours, chiefly
hydrogen sulphide, sulphur dioxide and steam. These issue
from orifices in the crust, on the walls, of which are yellow
incrustations of sublimed sulphur, sometimes orange-red by
association with arsenic sulphide, whilst the trachytic rocks of
the volcano are bleached and corroded by the effluent vapours,
with formation of such products as gypsum and alum. Sal
ammoniac occurs among the sublimates. The term solfatara
has been extended to all dormant volcanoes of this type; and a
volcano which has ceased to emit lava or ashes but still evolves
heated vapours, is said to have passed into the “solfataric
stage.” Examples are to be found in many volcanic districts.
By French geologists the term soufrière is used instead of the
Italian solfatara. (See Volcanoes.)
SOLFERINO, a village of Lombardy, Italy, in the province
of Mantua, 5 m. S.W. of San Martino della Battaglia (a railway
station 72 m. E. of Milan on: the line to Verona), situated
410 ft. above sea-level, on the south-west edge of the hills
bordering the Lake of Garda on the south. Pop. (1901), 1350.
It was the scene of a battle fought on the 24th of June 1859
between the allied Franco-Sardinian army under Napoleon III.
and Victor Emanuel, and the Austrian army commanded
by Francis Joseph II., in which, after a severe contest, the
latter retired over the Mincio (see Italian Wars). The battle
fought by the Sardinians on the left wing of the allied army is
often called by the separate title of San Martino, from a hamlet
near the Brescia-Verona railway, about which it was fought.
From this battle, a certain shade of blue was designated by the
name of Solferino, and was very popular for some years, though
now, unlike its companion “magenta,” it is forgotten.
SOLI (mod. Mezetlü), an ancient town of Asia Minor, on the
coast of Cilicia, between the rivers Lamus and Pyramus, from
each of which it is about 62 m. Colonists from Argos in Greece
and Lindus in Rhodes are described as the founders of the town,
which is first mentioned at the time of the expedition of the
younger Cyrus. In the 4th century B.C. it was so wealthy that
Alexander exacted a fine of 200 talents. In the Mithradatic
War, Soli was destroyed by Tigranes, but it was subsequently
rebuilt by Pompey, who settled there many of the pirates
whom he had captured, and called the town Pompeiopolis.
Soli was the birthplace of Chrysippus the Stoic and of the poets
Philemon and Aratus. The bad Greek spoken there gave rise
to the term σολοικισμός, solecism, which has found its way
into all the modern languages of Europe. The ruins, which lie
on the right bank of the Mezetlü Su have been lately plundered
to supply building material for Mersina, and little remains
except part of the colonnade which flanked the main street
leading to the harbour. The place is easily reached from
Mersina by carriage in about 112 hours. (D. G. H.)
SOLI, a Greek city on the north coast of Cyprus, lying at
Soliais in the metalliferous country round Karavortasi near
Lefka, on the south side of Mórphou Bay. Its kingdom was
bounded by the territories of Marion, Paphos, Tamassus and
Lapathus. It was believed to have been founded after the
Trojan War (c. 1180) by the Attic hero Acamas; but no remains
have been found in this district earlier than the Early Iron Age
(c. 1000–800). The town of “Sillu,” whose king Irisu was an
ally of Assur-bani-pal of Assyria in 668 B.C., is commonly sup-
posed to represent Soli.[1] In Hellenic times Soli had little
political importance, though it stood a five months’ siege from
the Persians soon after 500 B.C.; its copper mines, however,
were famous, and have left copious slag heaps and traces of
small scattered settlements. A neighbouring monastery is
dedicated to “Our Lady of the Slagheaps” (Panagia Skourgiótissa).
But the copper seems to have been exhausted in
Roman times, and thereupon Soli became desert.
See W. H. Engel, Kypros (Berlin, 1841; classical authorities); J. L. Myres and M. Ohnefalsch-Richter, Cyprus Museum Catalogue, (Oxford, 1899; antiquities): G. F. Hill, Brit. Mus. Cat. Coins of Cyprus (London, 1904; coins). (J. L. M.)
SOLICITOR, in England, an officer of the Supreme Court of
Judicature qualified to conduct legal proceedings for his clients:
see also Attorney. Previous to the reign of Henry III. the
common law considered it indispensable that the parties to a
suit should be actually present, but the privilege of appearing
by attorney was conceded in certain cases by special dispensation.
The passing of the statute of Merton and subsequent
enactments made it competent for both parties in all judicial
proceedings to appear by attorney. Previous to the passing
of the Judicature Act of 1873 there was a distinction between
the terms “solicitor” and “attorney.” Solicitors appear to
have been at first distinguished from attorneys, as not having
the attorney’s power to bind their principals, but latterly the
distinction was between attorneys as the agents formally
appointed in actions at law, and solicitors who took care of proceedings
in parliament, chancery, privy council, &c. In
practice, however, and in ordinary language, the terms were
synonymous. Down to the 17th century the solicitor of the
chancery courts was considered inferior to the attorney of the
common law courts, but the rapid growth of equity jurisdiction
gave the solicitor an importance in no degree inferior to his
fellow practitioner at the common law. Until 1873 it was usual
for attorneys to be admitted as solicitors as well, but the Judicature
Act of that year enacted that all persons admitted as
solicitors, attorneys or proctors of an English court shall henceforth
be called solicitors of the Supreme Court. Regulations
regarding the qualification of attorneys are found as far back
as the 20 Edward I. (1292), and the profession has been stringently
regulated by a series of statutes passed during the 19th
century, notably the Solicitors Act 1843 and the Solicitors Acts
1877 and 1888.
Every person, before he can become a duly qualified solicitor, must serve an apprenticeship or clerkship to a practising solicitor for a term of years varying from three to five, he must pass all the necessary examinations, he must be duly admitted and entered on the roll of solicitors kept by the Incorporated Law Society and must take out an annual certificate to practise. The organization of the profession is in the hands of the Incorporated Law Society. Established originally in 1827, in succession to an earlier society dating back to 1739, it was incorporated in 1831. It began courses of lectures for students in 1833 and ten years later was constituted registrar of attorneys and solicitors. In 1860 it obtained the power of suing unqualified solicitors and in 1888 it was given the custody of the roll of solicitors, on the abolition of the office of the clerk of the Petty Bag. The Solicitors Act of 1888 vested in the Incorporated Law Society the power of investigating complaints as to the professional conduct of solicitors, as well as power to refuse to renew the annual certificate of a solicitor, subject to the solicitor’s right of appeal. The statutory committee of the Incorporated Law Society may make application to the court to strike a solicitor off the rolls without preliminary inquiry by the committee where he has been convicted of a criminal offence, but where he is alleged to have been guilty of unprofessional conduct or a statutory offence the committee first hold a preliminary inquiry. Apart from its judicial administrative authority it has exercised powerful influence in the attitude which it has frequently taken towards proposed legislation. Membership of the society, which is not compulsory, is open to any duly qualified practising solicitor, on approval by the council. No person, however duly qualified, can be admitted as a solicitor till he has attained jthe age of twenty-one years. Though admitted as a solicitor and his name entered on the roll he is not at liberty to practise until he has taken out his annual certificate, the fees for which vary according as the applicant
- ↑ E. Schrader, Abh. K. Preuss. Ak. Wiss. (1879), pp. 31–36.
