The Corn Laws were a series of British laws regarding taxes on corn. These laws were passed in the 1800s. The laws were passed to favor and protect British land owners. Lord Liverpool passed them in 1815: If the price for corn was below 80 shillings per quarter, importing corn was forbidden; if the price was above, there were no import taxes. In 1822 and 1828, there were small changes. The laws caused many protests, and they were phased out under the government of Robert Peel, in 1846. Despite this, over one million people starved in Ireland, between 1846 and 1849. This famine is known as Irish Potato Famine today. 