The war continued. Spain against whom it had been first directed formed an alliance with France, and the colonies were called upon for new exertions. Ten more cannon were mounted in Fort George which was enlarged to receive them. Ten new field-pieces were ordered. A brick magazine was built for the safe keeping of powder and the supply of military stores was increased in every county. To secure promptness of action the Governor and Council together with the field officers and captains were formed into a permanent council of war. By a former act of the Assembly the men were allowed to choose their own officers. This act was repealed and the right of choice vested in the Legislature where the charter placed it. The drill system was incomplete. A more thorough one was established and two more companies were raised in Newport. In the midst of these warlike preparations the rights of conscience were respected and those who were scrupulous about the shedding of blood were employed as scouts and guards, or required to furnish horses in case of sudden alarm, or do any other duty consistent with their religious scruples. The House of Commons ever watchful over the interests of British commerce, began to look with suspicion on the frequent "emissions of paper currency in His Majesty's colonies in America, in which Rhode Island has too large a share." An address to the King was followed by instructions to the colonial governors from the Board of Trade to transmit to the home government "an account of the tenor and amount of the bills of credit" issued by each colony, the times when they fell due, the number actually outstanding and their value in "money of Great Britain, both at the time such bills were issued and at the time of preparing the account." The Governor's opinion was also required upon the still more difficult subject of "sinking and discharging all such bills of credit." Governor Ward replied on the part of Rhode Island by an elaborate history of the colonial currency and an able exposition of the causes and necessities from which it arose. Unfortunately these necessities still existed, and without heeding the warning implied by the action of the House of Commons the Assembly "created a new bank of twenty thousand pounds for ten years at four per cent." The paper issued under this act was called the new tenor, because unlike the earlier issues the bills bore on their faces the exact amount of gold and silver they were supposed to represent. Silver on the new tenor notes was rated at six shillings and ninepence sterling, gold at five pounds an ounce, and thus the value of a new tenor bill was four times that of an old tenor bill. The seeds of bankruptcy were thickly sown in both.