136 History of the Company. 



procedure was in vogue on the anniversaries of 

 the birth of their Royal Highnesses. 



In 1742, however, this custom was ordered to 

 be discontinued, for reasons explained in the fol- 

 lowing minute : — 



November igth. 



" Whereas several of the Company's Tennants adjoin- 

 ing to the Hall, and other persons in the neighbour- 

 hood, this day petitioned this Court to discontinue the 

 Illuminations without doors which have been usually 

 made on the Birthdays of the Prince and Princess of 

 Wales, by reason of the great mobbs assembling 

 together and the Injurys they generally receive thereby, 

 the same was taken into consideration by the Court, 

 and it appearing to this Court that great Inconvenience 

 and Damage have been done to the Petitioners by such 

 Illuminations, the Court therefore ordered that the 

 same be discontinued this night and for the future, and 

 that an advertisement be putt into the Papers specifying 

 the reasons why the same were discontinued." 



On the 1 6th December, 1743, the Court again 



waited upon the Prince and Princess 

 1743. . 



at Leicester House, to congratulate 



them on the birth of Prince William Henry. 



The next and last occasion was on the birth of 

 Prince Henry Frederick, two years afterwards, in 

 1745, a year memorable for the Scotch Rebellion. 

 On that occasion the Court presented the Prince 

 and Princess with the following interesting ad- 

 dress : — 



" May it please your Royal Highnesses — 



" The Company of Sadicrs most humbly beg leave to 



