[40]May, 1680. £100 payment of the colony's debts and supplying the treasury. [41]Oct. 1684. £160 "in or as to discharge New England colony's debts. money." x[42]Jan. 1686-7. A penny in the general expenses pound; poll tax of the Andros 1s., 8d. government. x Aug. 1687. A penny in the General expenses pound; poll tax of the Andros 1s. 8d. government. x Dec. 1687. £160. Building two money, wool, court houses, butter, Indian repairing the corn, rye or pork prison and paying at stated prices. the debts of the province. x March, 1687-8. £53-6s. 8d. Bounties on same as last. wolves. x [43]Aug. 1688. A penny in the general expenses pound; poll tax of the Andros 1s. 8d. government. The requirements of the militia service, which at this time supplied the whole military power of the colony, should also be taken into consideration. Militia systems had been established in the towns before their union under one government. The law of the island towns appointed eight training days a year for each town with two general musters. A fine of five shillings was imposed for non-appearance, and all men remaining on the island for twenty days were liable to the service.[44] The first assembly under the Patent enacted substantially this same law for the whole colony[45] and it remained essentially unchanged throughout the period of which we are treating. The limits of age were fixed at sixteen and sixty years. The only exemption from service were on account of "age, monage, sickness, lameness, or publique barringe of office at that time in the commonwealth."[46] In 1665, the number of training days was reduced to six and the fine for non-attendance was gradually lowered to two shillings. Those who were able seem to have been required to provide themselves with arms and ammunition, but in case of inability they might be furnished by the town council by means of rates or from the proceeds of military fines.[47] The military requirement acted to a certain extent as a poll tax, but the relations of the colony with the surrounding Indians was for the most part friendly; the need of strict military discipline does not seem to have been felt and various references in the laws themselves tend to show that military regulations were not strictly observed unless under the influence of some pressing emergency when special laws requiring their