Sir John Newport, 1st Baronet was an Anglo-Irish Whig politician who served as Chancellor of the Exchequer of Ireland.
Background
Born on 24 October 1756, he was the son of Simon Newport, a banker at Waterford, by his wife, Elizabeth, daughter of William Riall of Clonmel. After receiving his education at Eton College and Trinity College, Dublin, he became a partner in his father"s bank.
Education
Eton College; Trinity College.
Career
At the general election, in July 1802, he unsuccessfully contested the city of Waterford in the Whig interest against William Congreve Alcock. Newport, however, obtained the seat on petition in December 1803, and continued to represent Waterford until his retirement from parliamentary life at the dissolution in December 1832. He brought in his first Irish budget on 7 May 1806.
In November of this year he was returned for Street Mawes, as well as for the city of Waterford, but chose to sit for Waterford.
He brought in his second budget on 25 March 1807, and shortly afterwards resigned office with the rest of his colleagues. Newport was created a Doctorate.C.L. of the University of Oxford on 3 July 1810.
Newport did not accept office in Lord Liverpool"s administration, because the government was averse to measures of Catholic emancipation. He was a leading critic of the Earl of Elgin"s removal of the Elgin Marbles from Athens, commenting that "The Honourable Lord has taken advantage of the most unjustifiable means and has committed the most flagrant pillages.
lieutenant was, it seems, fatal that a representative of our country loots those objects that the Turks and other barbarians had considered sacred".
He spoke for the last time in the House of Commons on 25 June 1832, during the debate in committee on the Parliamentary Reform Bill for Ireland. On 11 October 1834 he was appointed Comptroller General of the Exchequer, a new office. He retired in 1839, with a pension, and died at Newpark, near Waterford, on 9 February
1843.
He was buried in Waterford Cathedral on 15 February following. His tenacity with inquiries in the House of Commons earned him the nickname of the "Political Ferret". Newport married Ellen, third daughter of Shapland Carew of Castle Boro, Member of Parliament for Waterford city, by whom he had no issue.
Membership
2nd United Kingdom Parliament. 3rd United Kingdom Parliament. 4th United Kingdom Parliament.
5th United Kingdom Parliament.
6th United Kingdom Parliament. 7th United Kingdom Parliament.
8th United Kingdom Parliament. 9th United Kingdom Parliament.
10th United Kingdom Parliament]
He took part in the convention of volunteer delegates which met in Dublin under the presidency of James Caulfeild, 1st Earl of Charlemont in November 1783, and was appointed a member of the committee of inquiry into the state of the borough representation in Ireland.
On the formation of the Ministry of All the Talents, Newport was appointed Chancellor of the Irish exchequer (25 February 1806), and was sworn a member of the English privy council on 12 March 1806.