Alexandria Gazette

Judge Daly, of New York, has written and published an opinion as long as a President's message, upon the right of a man to change his name. A Hollander, named Snook, changed his name to its English synonyme, Pike, under which name he transacted business. Some doubts arising in his mind of the legality of the transaction, he applied to the Court to confirm the change he had made. The Court went into a very learned investigation of the origin of names, and the authority of the Legislature over them. The conclusion come to was, that the Court could not change a man's name, unless satisfied that it was for his pecuniary gain, as a fortune being left on condition of changing it. The essential point of the decision was, however, that a man could change his name when he pleased, and do business legally under it. All required was identity, and if he could be identified under the name of Pike, as the individual who was known before as Snook, he had a right to use his adopted name.