Devon Commission

{{Short description|Commision researching land lease issues}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}

{{More citations needed|date=March 2008}}

The Devon Commission (officially 'Commission on Occupation of Land (Ireland)'The Irish Problem and How to Solve It, Elibron Classics. [https://books.google.com/books?id=ovOv7zaLW9sC&dq=%22Devon+Commission%22&pg=PA239 Google Books]) was a commission that was appointed by Sir Robert Peel to research the problems with land leases. It was formed by a queen's proclamation issued 20 November 1843 and reported 14 February 1845.{{Cite web |last=Ryan |first=Stephanie |date=2023-08-23 |title=Foreshadowing the famine disaster in Ireland: The Devon Commission, an inquiry into the occupation of land in Ireland 1843-1845 |url=https://www.slq.qld.gov.au/blog/foreshadowing-famine-disaster-ireland-devon-commission-inquiry-occupation-land-ireland-1843 |access-date=2023-08-25 |website=State Library Of Queensland |language=en}} This was a positive step for the government as it made the Irish believe that reform would come soon afterwards. This was the first time that a British government had taken a step towards reforming the unfair leases.

The Devon Commission was headed by William Courtney, the 10th Earl of Devon,[http://www.historyofparliamentonline.org/volume/1820-1832/member/courtenay-william-1777-1859 House of Lords biography] and it reported in 1845 that the population of Ireland had increased from 6 million people to close on 8 million people. Similarly they concluded that the leases were unfair and were favourable to the landowners (who were usually Anglo-Irish). The majority of Irish tenants had no form of protection, they could be, and often were, summarily evicted. They also had no claim to the Ulster Custom of landholding - this would have granted tenants the "3F's": Free sale, fixity of tenure, and fair rent. The Devon Commission had wide reaching consequences and though too late to prevent the famine, it did galvanize change afterwards.