Page:History of Adelaide and vicinity.djvu/436

 410 ADELAIDE AND VICINITY Mr. Lewis Cohen ORIGINALITY is peculiarly characteristic to the Hebraic race in Australia, and, as an example, Mr. Lewis Cohen, during his political career in the House, won not a little prestige for the staunch fashion in which he clung to his tenets. His ideas were not the slavish borrowings of some influential leader : they were the grist of his own milling. Mr. Cohen was born in Liverpool in 1849, and, when three years old, came to Australia with his father, Mr. Henry Cohen, who was for many years engaged in commercial pur- suits in New South Wales. The son received his elementary education in Sydney, and then proceeded to P^ngland, in 1867, to complete his studies. On returning to New South Wales, he resided in Sydney, but shortly afterwards left for Fiji. At this time the South Sea Islands afforded considerable opportuni- ties for commercial enterprise. Trading had not yet surfeited the market, and the whirl of competition was still in its first rotatory movement. But Fiji had entered upon an active phase in its existence, for the residents were going to adopt a system of constitutional government. The country was consequently in a state of considerable agitation, and the energy of the white .settler was willingly put forth in the attempt to establish an autonomous legislature. A sy.stem of municipal government was established, and Mr. Cohen, in 1872, was elected a member of the council. He proved himself a useful auxiliary to the devi.sers of the new administration. His counsel, tendered with due regard to the ancient privileges and customs of the natives, was relied upon. The administration provided for five Ministers, with King Cakabau at the head. Mr. Cohen received the thanks of the Ministry for his u.seful services ; and the white settlers, who profited considerably by this salient administrative establishment, expressed their indebtedness to his serviceable Hssistance, Hammer & Co, Photo