ic ▁Jews , ▁a ▁merchant ▁and ▁at ▁one ▁time ▁a ▁plan ter ▁in ▁the ▁West ▁Ind ies . ▁He ▁received ▁a ▁good ▁education ▁and ▁in ▁ 1 8 4 6 ▁he ▁was ▁art ic led ▁to ▁a ▁London ▁stock bro ker , ▁with ▁whom ▁he ▁remained ▁for ▁three ▁years , ▁then ▁spent ▁some ▁time ▁as ▁a ▁merchant ▁around ▁the ▁coast ▁of ▁Africa , ▁dealing ▁in ▁comm od ities ▁such ▁as ▁iv ory , ▁o str ich ▁fe athers ▁and ▁animal ▁sk ins . ▁He ▁arrived ▁in ▁South ▁Australia ▁in ▁ 1 8 5 2 ▁and ▁joined ▁the ▁au ction e ering ▁firm ▁of ▁Sol omon ▁and ▁Co ., ▁whose ▁princip als ▁were ▁Isaac ▁and ▁Jud ah ▁Sol omon , ▁which ▁he ▁later ▁acquired , ▁then ▁in ▁ 1 8 8 2 ▁sold ▁to ▁a ▁cons ort ium ▁of ▁mer ch ants . ▁ ▁He ▁was ▁elected ▁to ▁the ▁Legisl ative ▁Council ▁in ▁ 1 8 8 2 . ▁The ▁election ▁was ▁under ▁the ▁old ▁system , ▁when ▁the ▁whole ▁col ony ▁voted ▁as ▁one ▁constitu ency . ▁Six ▁members ▁were ▁required , ▁and ▁out ▁of ▁ 1 4 ▁candidates ▁Sal om ▁was ▁returned ▁second ▁of ▁the ▁poll ▁with ▁ 8 , 1 1 5 ▁votes . ▁He ▁was ▁asked ▁by ▁Sir ▁John ▁Down er ▁to ▁accept ▁the ▁Chief ▁Secretary ship , ▁but ▁he ▁decl ined . ▁In ▁September , ▁ 1 8 8 7 , ▁he ▁introduced ▁a ▁Bill ▁known ▁as ▁the ▁First ▁Off enders ▁Act , ▁which ▁had ▁the ▁aim ▁of ▁keeping