Practically the choice lay between the bill as fixed by the conference committee or no bill at all during that session.

Mr.Reagan stated the case exactly when he said that it meant "letting six men settle what the terms are to be, beyond our power of control, unless we consent to a called session of Congress." To deal with this situation, the House had refused to adopt the rules of the preceding Congress; and after electing John G.Carlisle as Speaker and authorizing the appointment of a committee on rules, it deferred the appointment of the usual legislative committees until after a new set of rules had been adopted.

The action of the Speaker in constituting the Rules Committee was scrupulously fair to the contending interests.

It consisted of himself, Samuel J.Randall of Pennsylvania, and William R.Morrison of Illinois from the Democratic side of the House; and of Thomas B.Reed of Maine and Frank Hiscock of New York from the Republican side.

On the 14th of December, the committee made two reports: a majority report presented by Mr.Morrison and a minority report presented by Mr.Randall and signed by him alone.
These reports and the debates which followed are most disappointing.
What was needed was a penetrating discussion of the means by which the House could establish its authority and perform its constitutional functions.