Opinion No. 12-889
May 7, 1912
TO: Hon. William B. Walton, State Senator, Santa Fe, New Mexico.
WHISKEY CREEK.
No constitutional objection to changing of name of Whiskey Creek to Rio de Arenas.
OPINION
{*32} In answer to your inquiry as to whether there is any constitutional objection to the adoption of the bill introduced by you to change the name of a water course in Grant County, commonly known as Whiskey Creek to Rio de Arenas, I have to say that I am strongly of opinion that there is nothing to be found in our Constitution which would be violated by the passage of this bill. The only prohibition which could be considered as having any reference to bills of this kind is the one to be found in Section 24 of Article IV of the Constitution which forbids the passage of local or special laws "changing the names of persons or places," but I cannot see that this has any reference to the names of rivers and streams. I believe that it was intended to prevent special laws for the changing of names of towns, villages, settlements or any place which has come to be known officially by any designated name. There may be esthetic objections to the contemplated change of name, but they could have no effect upon its constitutionality.