Using enter-command

[Tim Johnson <tim@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

I note that when I press `:', I am taken to a command line.
I find that when I go into 'help' that `:' executes 
<enter-command>

I'm having problems making commands work:
Example
In the index, I have bound Ctrl-E to last-entry.
Yet If I do this:
:last-entry
I get an error: "Unknown Command".

I am in particular interested in checking variable
settings.

Since my question is general again, pointers
to relevant discussions should be more than sufficient.
thanks
-- 
Tim 
tim@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
http://www.akwebsoft.com